The vessel, operated by HMM, was passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday afternoon under coordination with Iranian authorities, according to the ministry.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also confirmed the passage during a parliamentary session earlier in the day.
“At this very moment, our tanker is leaving the Strait of Hormuz through consultations with the Iranian side,” Cho told the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.
Cho said the ship began sailing Tuesday after discussions with Iranian authorities and was proceeding “very cautiously” through the route. He also referred to “2 million barrels,” apparently indicating the volume of crude oil loaded on the tanker.
Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic and reports from Bloomberg identified the vessel as the Universal Winner, an HMM-operated crude oil tanker owned by the same company as the Namoo, which was recently struck in the region.
The tanker, which had remained in waters near Qatar, began moving on June 19 along a route designated by Iranian authorities.
The foreign ministry said neither the South Korean government nor the shipping company had paid tolls or compensation to Iran in exchange for the vessel’s passage.
Seoul also maintained that Iran’s decision to allow the tanker through the strait was unrelated to the recent attack on the Namoo.
The government said the transit became possible after Seoul repeatedly requested safe passage for South Korean-linked vessels while maintaining diplomatic coordination with Tehran through four phone conversations between the two countries’ foreign ministers and the dispatch of a special envoy.
Iran informed the South Korean Embassy in Tehran late Monday that passage through the strait would be permitted, the ministry said.
The notification came a day after Cho held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and requested clarification regarding the attack on the Namoo.
The South Korean government is continuing negotiations with Tehran to secure the passage of 25 remaining South Korean-linked vessels still inside the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials are reportedly prioritizing ships carrying large numbers of South Korean crew members or cargo considered strategically important to South Korea.
Iran has requested that vessels use routes designated by Iranian authorities, though some shipping companies remain concerned over potential security risks and possible U.S. sanctions.
The United States Department of the Treasury previously issued an advisory warning that shipping firms and vessels engaging in transactions with Iran related to safe passage through the strait could face sanctions.
South Korea’s foreign ministry, however, said it believes the U.S. advisory does not apply to government-level negotiations and does not expect the tanker that exited the strait to become subject to sanctions.
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